Text by Tamar Garb.

‘Figures and Fictions’ presents the work of 17 South African photographers, all of whom are currently living and working in the country. It features works produced between 2000 and 2010, as the first flush of post-democratic euphoria begins to fade. While the old fixed categories of ‘black and white’ no longer hold, they have not easily been displaced by the ideal of a post-racial ‘rainbow nation’ of citizens and subjects. In this fascinating and fraught political context, a new generation of outstanding photographers have joined the established doyens of South African image makers to produce startling and compelling work.

The book and exhibition include renowned practitioners David Goldblatt and Santu Mofokeng, mid-career stars Guy Tillim, Pieter Hugo, Zwelethu Methethwa, Berni Searle, Jodi Bieber, and Terry Kurgan, and newcomers to the international stage Zanele Muholi, Hassan and Husain Essop, Roelof van Wyk, Graeme Williams, Kudzanai Chiurai, and Sabelo Mlangeni.